End of Week One!

So I've decided to combine my sixth and seventh days in Paris into one blog post.  And these are two pretty big days.  We went to two of Paris's most iconic buildings on these days: the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.  At Notre Dame, it seemed like half the city was packed into the same the building.  It was an amazingly beautiful church, but I have not seen one church here that isn't beautiful.  While Notre Dame truly is amazing, and should definitely be seen, I think a lot of the smaller churches, some of which have just as much or more history behind them, would be a much better place to worship and really appreciate the artwork that goes into building the catholic cathedrals of France.

While half of France was at Notre Dame, the other half was roaming around at the Louvre.  Around the exhibits of the most iconic pieces of work, you have to just shove your way through to the front to get a decent picture.  Exhibits with lesser known pieces, such as Napoleon's apartment, are not nearly as crowded, so if breathing room is a priority, spend most of your time in those exhibits.  Some of the pieces of art required a second look to truly grasp how incredible it is, but my favorite piece that immediately grabbed my attention was a sculpture called "Winged Victory."  The sculpture is missing its head and both of its arms, but I believe that just makes it even more beautiful.  Adds to the mystery.  Although, what remains left of the statue accomplishes a lot.  you can see where Victory's dress is wet, and the wind is blowing it close to her body.  She seems to exude power and strength with both wings extended out boldly, and a solid stance.  To be in her presence is to feel a sense of victory.